By Meena Ganesh
Healthcare is ever-changing and not a discretionary service. New diseases and contagions are constantly necessitating tech-driven innovation for better outcomes – as amply demonstrated by the pandemic.In the context of India, the last few years have seen increased focus on improving healthcare quality, affordability, and access, the framework for which has been laid down under the universal health coverage (UHC). Technology has come as the enabler in this regard with public and private institutions ensuring digital health interventions as part of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission. The ultimate goal is to not just cure or prevent diseases, but do so with the patient at the centre of it all. Patient-centric approach is driving healthcare of the future and technology and digitization are emerging as the fulcrum.
The changing patient
The most important stakeholder in healthcare is the patient. Therefore, those in the healthcare ecosystem must work towards their benefit and build capacity for patients to take care of their health without getting impoverished. In a country like India, taking care of people with diseases or the elderly and bedridden is traditionally seen as the responsibility of younger members. This is where the patient-centric approach has come about as a major transition.
Patients today are more aware of their health, diseases and their implications, and the available diagnostic or treatment options. They want to be a part of the decision-making process and understand how they can improve their outcomes. This behaviour is further fuelled by technology such as wearables and at-home monitors for various conditions, which help patients check their vitals and get updates in real time. They can then share these with the healthcare provider and understand what it is that they need to do for improving their overall outcomes. Even for critical conditions, it is now possible to ensure that the patient is cared for in the comfort of their home.
Once the emotional or societal biases are set aside, it is not difficult to see how professional patient care at home can bring superior outcomes. For instance, when younger family members are required to take care of bedridden family members or accompany them to hospitals or diagnostic centres, they invariably need to take time off work. With most of the healthcare expenses to be managed out of pocket, this can be a double whammy. A patient-centric care model helps overcome this challenge by delivering care at home through professionally trained nurses and caregivers. For added support, they have the framework of telemedicine, e-pharmacies, remote monitoring of patient vitals, delivery of services such as home ICU or medical equipment on rent, on-call emergency support, etc.
The way forward
Quality, affordability, and accessibilityare the tenets around which patient-centric healthcare of the future must revolve. A patient-centric approach in healthcare is not just about changing the way treatment is given, but also bringing about qualitative access to healthcare at scale. For the patient, this should mean better healthcare delivered anytime, anywhere. For the providers, it should mean the ability to care for patients without feeling overburdened with administrative work.
Elimination of the compulsion to travel for institutional medical facilities is bound to boost adherence and the propensity among patients to seek care for non-critical conditions, guidance for symptoms etc. Thus, preventive care delivery wherein diseases like cancer can be identified at an early stage, and high-risk people can start making lifestyle adjustments or taking medical support to prevent onset of diseases such as diabetes or heart problems becomes possible. It is this model of patient-centricity that has been brought into mainstream by the pandemic, and is now set to be the new benchmark for all medical service providers in the years ahead. This calls for us — regulatory authorities, government, and healthcare systems — to collectively rise to the challenge and transform healthcare.
(The author is a Chairperson and Co-Founder, Portea Medical. Views expressed are personal and do not reflect the official position or policy of the FinancialExpress.com.)
